Abstract:

The present invention discloses a fluorescent lamp assembly for a liquid
crystal display. The assembly comprises a bracket having a fluorescent
lamp fixing channel and a wire fixing channel; a fluorescent lamp
positioned inside the fluorescent lamp fixing channel; a conductive
elastic member positioned inside the bracket with one end thereof
connected to the fluorescent lamp through the fluorescent lamp fixing
channel; and wire positioned in the wire fixing channel. One end of the
wire is connected to the other end of the conductive elastic member.

Claims:

1. A backlight module for a liquid crystal display, comprising:a bracket
comprising a fluorescent lamp fixing channel and a wire fixing channel;a
fluorescent lamp positioned inside the fluorescent lamp fixing channel;a
conductive elastic member positioned inside the bracket with one end
thereof connected to the fluorescent lamp through the fluorescent lamp
fixing channel; anda wire positioned in the wire fixing channel, one end
of the wire being connected to the other end of the conductive elastic
member.

2. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the fluorescent lamp comprises
a lamp tube, an electrode provided inside the lamp tube and a lead
protruding from a side of the lamp tube, the lead being connected to the
lead and the one end of the conductive elastic member.

3. The backlight module of claim 2, wherein the one end of the conductive
elastic member is connected to the lead through a first connecting
portion, and the other end thereof is connected to the one end of the
wire through a second connecting portion.

4. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the conductive elastic member
is a spring or an elastic wire.

5. The backlight module of claim 4, further comprising an elastic block
sheathed over the elastic wire.

6. The backlight module of claim 4, wherein a width of the spring is
larger than a width of the wire fixing channel.

7. The backlight module of claim 5, wherein a width of the elastic block
is larger than a width of the wire fixing channel.

Description:

BACKGROUND

[0001]Embodiments of the present invention relate to a backlight module
for a liquid crystal display.

[0002]A liquid crystal display (LCD) is not a self emitting display
device, for which a backlight module is required to provide a light
source. According to the position of a light source in a backlight
module, a backlight module can be an edge light type backlight module or
a direct light backlight module. The most commonly used light source in a
backlight module can be a linear light source such as a fluorescent lamp
(for example a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL)) and a spot light
source such as a light emitting diode (LED).

[0003]An edge light type backlight module used for a liquid crystal
display may have a fluorescent lamp assembly to hold a fluorescent lamp
on a side within the backlight module. In mounting fluorescent lamps on
such a conventional fluorescent lamp assembly used for a liquid crystal
display or wiring after the mounting, the operator needs to pull the
wires. The fluorescent lamp may be broken when the wires are pulled, and
such broken fluorescent lamp account for about 10% of the unqualified
products, being the third most important factor.

[0004]FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the conventional fluorescent
lamp assembly 100 for a LCD. The conventional fluorescent lamp comprises
a lamp tube 1 having electrodes. The protruding portion on the outer side
of the lamp tube 1 is a lead 11 for one of the electrodes. The
fluorescent lamp assembly for a LCD further comprises a bracket 2 which
has a fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13 and a wire fixing channel 14.
The lamp tube 1 of the fluorescent lamp is inserted into and fixed to the
fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13, and a wire 4 enters the bracket 2 and
extends through the wire fixing channel 14 to be connected with the lead
11 of the fluorescent lamp. The wire 4 is welded to the lead 11 by
soldering within the bracket 2 with forming a soldered dot, and the wire
4 and the lead 11 run perpendicularly to each other. In the above
mentioned fluorescent lamp assembly 100 for a LCD, in order to prevent
the lamp from being broken by the pull exerted on the wire, the wire 4
and the lead 11 are welded to be perpendicular to each other, so that the
direct application of the pulling force exerted on the fluorescent lamp
can be avoided. However, even so, when the pulling force of the wire is
too powerful, the fluorescent lamp can still be broken.

SUMMARY

[0005]A backlight module for a LCD is provided in one aspect of the
present invention. The backlight module comprises: a bracket comprising a
fluorescent lamp fixing channel and a wire fixing channel; a fluorescent
lamp positioned inside the fluorescent lamp fixing channel; a conductive
elastic member positioned inside the bracket with one end thereof
connected to the fluorescent lamp through the fluorescent lamp fixing
channel; and a wire positioned in the wire fixing channel, one end of the
wire being connected to the other end of the conductive elastic member.

[0006]In the above mentioned embodiment, the conductive elastic member is
provided inside the bracket, and therefore, when a downward pulling force
is exerted on the wire when the wire is pulled during assembling of the
fluorescent lamp or wiring, the pulling force is first applied on the
conductive elastic member connected to the wire, and then the conductive
elastic member is deformed due to stretch, providing a function of
buffering, and thus prevent the lamp tube of the fluorescent lamp from
being broken.

[0007]Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become
apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it
should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples,
while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way
of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the
spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled
in the art from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]The present invention will become more fully understood from the
detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings
which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative
of the present invention and wherein:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a fluorescent lamp assembly for
a LCD of the prior art;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a fluorescent lamp assembly for
a LCD according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and

[0011]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a fluorescent lamp assembly for
a LCD according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the fluorescent lamp assembly
200 for a LCD according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
The assembly 200 comprises a bracket 2, a conductive elastic member 21,
and a wire 4. The bracket 2 has a fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13 and
a wire fixing channel 14. The fluorescent lamp is inserted into the
fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13 and fixed thereto, and the wire 4 is
positioned inside the wire fixing channel 14 and is connected with the
fluorescent lamp via the conductive elastic member 21. The conductive
elastic member 21 of the present embodiment may be a spring 21 possessing
electrical conductivity and positioned inside the bracket 2.

[0013]When the wire is pulled during assembling of the fluorescent lamp or
wiring, there is a pulling force exerted downwardly on the wire 4, which
is first applied on the conductive elastic member 21 connected to the
wire 4. Then, the conductive elastic member 21 is deformed due to
stretch, providing a function of buffering, and thus prevents the lamp
tube of the fluorescent lamp from being broken.

[0014]In particular, the fluorescent lamp comprises a lamp tube 1, an
electrode 12 provided inside the lamp tube, and a lead protruding from a
side of the lamp tube and connected to one end of the spring 21 through a
first connecting portion 211. One end of the wire 4 is connected to the
other end of the spring 21 through a second connecting portion 212. The
first connecting portion 211 and the second connecting portion 212 are
soldered dots formed in soldering.

[0015]Further, the fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13 and the wire fixing
channel 14 are perpendicular to each other, making the assembling
direction of the fluorescent lamp perpendicular to that of the wire 4, so
that the pulling force exerted on the wire 4 can be prevented from being
applied on the fluorescent lamp directly.

[0016]Further, the width of the spring 21 is larger than the width of the
wire fixing channel 14, so that when the wire 4 is pulled, the spring 21
will not loss its function of buffering as a consequence of being dragged
out of the fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13 and into the wire fixing
channel 14.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the fluorescent lamp assembly
300 for a LCD according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
The assembly 300 comprises a bracket 2, a conductive elastic member 21,
and a wire 4. The bracket 2 has a fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13 and
a wire fixing channel 14. The fluorescent lamp is inserted into the
fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13 and fixed thereto, and the wire 4 is
positioned inside the wire fixing channel 14 and connected to the
fluorescent lamp through the conductive elastic member 21. The conductive
elastic member 21 of the present embodiment comprises an elastic wire 22
and an elastic block 22 sheathed over the elastic wire 22 and is
positioned inside the bracket 2.

[0018]When the wire 4 is pulled during assembling of the fluorescent lamp
or wiring, there is a pulling force exerted downwardly on the wire, which
is first applied on the elastic wire 22 connected to the wire 4. Then,
the elastic wire 22 is deformed due to stretch, providing a function of
buffering, and thus prevents the lamp tube of the fluorescent lamp from
being broken. In addition, when the fluorescent lamp is pulled to move,
the elastic block 23 can also serve to buffer, providing further
guarantee of the up-to-standard rate of fluorescent lamps.

[0019]Specifically, the fluorescent lamp comprises a lamp tube 1, an
electrode 12 provided inside the lamp tube, and a lead 11 protruding from
a side of the lamp tube and connected to one end of the elastic wire 22
through a first connecting portion 211. One end of the wire 4 is
connected to the other end of the elastic wire 22 through a second
connecting portion 212. The first connecting portion 211 and the second
connecting portion 212 are soldered dots formed in soldering.

[0020]Further, in this embodiment, the fluorescent lamp fixing channel 13
and the wire fixing channel 14 are fixed to be perpendicular to each
other, making the assembling direction of the fluorescent lamp
perpendicular to that of the wire 4, so that the pulling force of the
wire can be prevented from being applied on the fluorescent lamp
directly.

[0021]Further, the width of the elastic block 23 is larger than the width
of the wire fixing channel, so that when the wire is pulled, the elastic
wire 22 and the elastic block 23 will not loss the function of buffering
as a consequence of being dragged out of the fluorescent lamp fixing
channel 13 and into the wire fixing channel 14.

[0022]Additionally, the above mentioned effect of preventing the lamp from
being broken can also be achieved by forming the wire 4 or the lead 11
with elastic and conductive material to allow itself to have the ability
of buffering, or by forming part of the wire 4 or the lead 11 that is
inside the bracket into an elastic and curved structure like a spring.

[0023]The embodiment of the invention being thus described, it will be
obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not
to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,
and all such modifications as would be obvious to those skilled in the
art are intended to be comprised within the scope of the following
claims.